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Feds set to give $950 M for innovation to industries

Nine industry consortiums may receive $950 million from the Federal government under the Liberal Party's innovationn initiative known as its "superclusters" program according to report in The Globe and Mail.

Manufacturers and other businesses iinvolved in Quebec's aerospace industry, Ontario's mining industry, the Prarire's agricultural industries, Alberta's construction firms, Atlantic Canadian fishing and energy are among nine bidders selected by the government.

According to The Globe and Mail report, the short list of potential recipients includes:

an “oceans supercluster” headed by energy company Emera Inc. and Clearwater Seafoods Inc., both of Nova Scotia, that would invest in digital technologies for offshore industries;

a “protein innovations” supercluster from Saskatchewan led by agriculture firms including Regina’s Alliance Grain Traders Inc. and American giant DowDuPont Inc.;

and an “AI-powered supply chain” supercluster led by Quebec City’s Optel Group and backed by such Quebec Inc. mainstays as BCE Inc., CGI Group and Alimentation Couche-Tard that intends to use artificial intelligence to improve business processes in retail, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors.

Other shortlisted applicants include a group led by Montreal flight simulator maker CAE Inc. looking to bring digital technology advances to aerospace and other industries; a second agriculture consortium led by Calgary-based Agrium Inc. aimed at making Canada a preferred global supplier of "sustainable high-quality safe food" and a "digital technology" group drawn from a swath of B.C. firms including Telus Corp. and Timberwest Forest Corp. and six postsecondary institutions.

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